Psionics
This article covers expansion-only (Mindgames) content. General information Psionics are abilities introduced in the Mindgames Expansion that are comparable to spells found in traditional RPGs. They add a wide variety of useful powers vital to surviving in The Pit. Each Class is typically encouraged towards certain "schools" of psionics due to a higher starting score in certain skills or differences in Psi point pool or regen, e.g. Telekinesis for the Engineer, Manifestion for the Psion, Resistance for the Ranger and so on. New abilities are unlocked as you invest into each of the 7 psionic skills. Casting a psionic costs Psi Points, along with 1 to 2 food, and will end your turn. After being used, it will take a certain number of turns before it can be used again. This waiting period is known as "Recharge (Rc)". Every class recovers Psi Points after a certain number of ticks. Both the number of ticks between each recovery and the amount of Psi Points that regenerate are based on both the character class and the game Difficulty Setting. The table below is ordered from the class that has the poorest Psi Point regeneration to the best. Please note that game doesn't display fractions for Psi Regeneration but it still counts them. Most Psionics improve in duration as their governing skill increases. The exact duration in turns / moments of most psionics can be viewed in the SotSDex log. Targeted psionics can only be cast within your line of sight '''but not on an '''Invisible creature or furniture, with some exceptions (e.g. disguised Adaptoids). *The amount of Psi Points at your disposal is equal to your Brains + Power * 2. It can be increased or decreased by serum Bio mods. *Most classes also gain psi points from levels: Shepherds gain 6 per level, Psions, Seekers, Strikers, and Scouts gain 5, Marines gain 3, Engineers gain 2, Mercenaries and Rangers gain 1, and Warriors gain 0. *Power has no direct effect on the strength of psionics, but more psi points does allow for certain potent combos and more frequent use of low-cost psionics. Whether a creature resists certain offensive psionics or not is checked through your psi skills' '''or '''power' (depending ob ability). *'Cyborg' creatures can be targeted by Psionics which affect Mecha and Organic, but the resulting effect tends to be less effective. *Being afflicted by the Pain status effect strips you of any Psionic protection or "buff" you currently have, and prevents you from using any psionics. *'Stim Towers' and Master Minds grant immunity against Status Effects to all creatures within the room. Thus, a Fear would do nothing while a Shrapnel Storm would cause damage, but never Paralyze. Indoctrinators on the other hand cause you to be much more vulnerable to offensive enemy psionics. *The terms "entry level" or "entry point" simply refers to the number you need to reach to unlock a psi skill's first ability, e.g. "Empathy and Resistance have an entry point of 15". Empathy This psionic school focuses on support abilities. The low entry skill of 15 makes it a good all-around choice, but it is best paired with another school, especially after acquiring Psi Drain. It has everything a Scout needs Telekinesis This skill offers a solid mix of physical offense, defense and utility abilities. Proves invaluable for psi-heavy builds when dealing with mechs and psi-resistant creatures. Both TK fist and Shrapnel storm rarely fail to get their targets. Shrapnel storm can paralyze those hard to get enemies, and also happens to be the most effective disabling ability in the game. And when that alone is not enough TK fist can help to further decrease the number of hard-to-control enemies. It is vital to playing an effective Psion and helpful for the Marine & Engineer. Manipulation '''offers a much safer way to open containers, disarm traps and repair devices (watch yourself with the disintegrators though, as their "disintegration" negative outcome can still get you). '''TK Fist '''and '''Deflect help you preserve quite a bit of ammo & durability over the course of the game. War Mind The War Mind discipline concentrates on turning the strength of Organic creatures against them, whether you turn a battle into a free-for-all with Berserker or use Life Drain on a creature with high health. While the skill has a high entry point of 30, it complements the Shepherd & Lich favored play-style fairly well. Redaction A passive survival skill that benefits well from every point invested past entry level. It is most suited to the Psion, Seeker and Scout, thanks to their high amount of skill points. You can get Heal and then let it improve through use as you build up a more offensive psionic skill. You can also invest all the way into it if you foresee a lot of resting and hunger issues. Due to their delayed benefits and cost, the last 2 abilities are best used outside of combat and/or with effects that improve psi point restoration. Manifestation A psi-heavy school. The first skill becomes available at 50, and auto-leveling only realy starts at 60. On top of this, the real worth of this skill doesn't unlock untill 90. At that point though you'll really start to reap your benefits. Manifestation focuses on enhancing your ability to survive in The Pit ''by lowering the need to raise certain skills or find new supplies. It does feature an offensive AoE ability in the form of '''Fire'. Mecha Empathy This Psionic skill-branch offers additional ways to deal with Mecha creatures. While Telekinesis offers an option to dispose of non-organic targets, Mechs are often too strong and too numerous to be left alone or momentarily disabled, as well as the fact that most other Psi abilities will not work on non-organics, thus giving Mecha Empathy a place to help in this department. However, most of the abilities of this branch are very expensive, and since they are mech-exclusive in terms of effects, the worth of investing in such a psi-branch is questionable, and should only be taken if you are encountering high amounts of mechs. One ability that deserves a separate mention is Mechasense; Even if you are not planning to rely on this skill as a whole, just knowing where the mechs are can be invaluable. And if you are planning to use this skill extensively, be sure that your psionic regeneration can handle the strain it brings. Resistance A versatile defensive skill accessible to all classes. Psi Shield is your best defense against Fear. You can invest in it solely for Psi Armor, which is particularly effective for the Marine & Ranger. Invisibility '''and '''Reflect are more situational, but have some interesting combo potential with certain other psionics. Category:Browse Category:Main Category:Basics